All Star Comics #3 (1940)
cover by Everett E. Hibbard
This is quite a milestone: the very first superhero team, EVER. Not to mention one of the surprisingly few teams that has legitimate Golden Age history.
This is also, technically speaking, the first inter-company crossover.
Because while we think of all these characters being from DC Comics, it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Atom, the Flash, Green Lantern, and Hawkman were technically published by All-American Publications. The others were published by National Comics Publications, which would eventually absorb All-American Publications entirely in 1946.
National Comics wouldn’t officially change its name into DC Comics until 1977, but it was already known as DC Comics long before that.
Please consider that this is a MASSIVE oversimplification, it’s a very complicated story.
The story is treated like a continuous one, in the sense that there are no separate titles for each segment… but this is basically an anthology with a framing device.
There are no real credits in the story, but we are relatively sure about who wrote and penciled what, so I’ll give the applicable credits.
Full disclosure: I’m going by the credits given by the DC Database. I couldn’t verify them, so take them with a grain of salt.
Prologue
by Gardner Fox & Everett E. Hibbard
Even if he’s not on the cover itself, Johnny Thunder is the first hero to show up. And kind of breaking the fourth wall, complaining that he wasn’t invited to the first Justice Society meeting in front of a comic book rack.
Which makes me wonder: if all the JSA members have their own in-universe series… does that apply to the Spectre as well?
You might remember that Johnny’s gimmick is that, whenever he says his magic word, his Thunderbolt grants his wishes. That’s how he’s taken to the JSA meeting.
He immediately meets up with Doctor Fate, Sandman and the Flash.
Since the meeting is taking place at a hotel, Sandman put everyone to sleep… despite the fact that both Doctor Fate and Hawkman already have bases big enough for a meeting.
The rest of the team isn’t far behind. Especially with Johnny unwillingly teleporting them into the meeting.
He then makes everyone’s food disappear. Our hero, ladies and gentlemen!
Okay I get the Spectre, since he’s a ghost, but why doesn’t Doctor Fate need to eat?
Is it because he can’t take off his helmet in front of the others?
So… was this meeting ALWAYS be intended to be just dinner?
Also, notice the shout-out to Superman, Batman and Robin. They’re already too famous to be here.
Even Red Tornado is namedropped (with the wrong name, since that’s one of her running gags), but unlike the World’s Finest she will show up later.
And that’s the framing device for the Flash story.
The Flash
by Gardner Fox & Everett E. Hibbard
I’m going to hurry through most of these stories, because this is a VERY long comic.
Flash’s one is about a treasure ship.
I have seen the various incarnations of the Flash do absurd things that shouldn’t have anything to do with super-speed.
Breathing underwater is a new one.
Now you might be thinking: he’s not talking underwater, those are thought bubbles.
But how do you explain the fact that we get actual thought bubbles FROM A SHARK?
Among the other crazy thing the Flash does in this story, he moves an entire boat by becoming its propeller.
He does this TWICE, the second time moving the boat of some modern-day pirates FROM PANAMA TO THE ARCTIC.
Hawkman
by Gardner Fox & Sheldon Moldoff
Then we move to Hawkman’s story. Notice the drastic change in artwork and the absurd size of his wings!
The adventure deals with the Krakatoa volcano, spelled differently but it’s explicitly the same.
Hawkman’s love interest Shaiera, who hasn’t become Hawkgirl yet, wastes no time needing to be rescued.
After saving her, Hawkman leaves for Krakatoa taking with him “the hammer of Thor”.
The reason for his involvement is that there are weird fireproof men on the volcano.
Or at least that’s his excuse. He’s actually here to stalk Shiera.
Good thing these two are constantly reincarnating. They can afford wearing their cancer suits.
Hawkman ends up defeating the leader of the tribe that wanted to destroy the world for… reasons, I guess.
Overall, a classic adventure. And a nice raise of the stakes from the Flash story: we went from rescuing sunken treasure to saving the world.
Now be ready for the story to turn ABSOLUTELY BONKERS: the Spectre is just being nice!
The Spectre
written by Jerry Siegel & Gardner Fox
pencils by Bernard Baily
It begins normally enough, with some people being strangled by shadows.
And you might be led to believe it’s just a werewolf, since the crimes are only happening under a full moon.
But it’s actually this giant ugly statue!!!
This is Oom, and believe me, you are NOT ready for this guy.
The Spectre, who I remind you is BASICALLY OMNIPOTENT, agrees to just gamble this out.
As a reminder: the Spectre wasn’t sure THIS would top Hawkman’s story.
Please consider that this one was most likely written without using any drugs.
The Spectre reaches his goal after taking that “shortcut through the L dimension”, whatever the heck THAT means…
But he’s distracted by the FREAKING DRAGON summoned by Oom!!!
The distraction allows Oom to get to the stone first, but the Spectre forces him to drop it.
You would think this would be the end of it, but nope!
Word of advice: DON’T LIE TO THE SPECTRE. He’s just going to trap your soul into a stone and throw it on the other side of the universe.
Yeah I’ll believe Hourman can top THAT, sure.
Hourman
by Ken Fitch & Gardner Fox
pencils by Ken Fitch
A masquerade ball where too many people show up dressed as Hourman? Surely as exciting as battling a dragon on the other end of space!
Okay jokes aside, it’s not a bad premise. With so many Hourmen around, the thieves want to blame the real one for the theft of some diamonds.
Too bad Hourman kind of sucks in this. Even if he’s the only one around him with super-strength, he’s taken out with no problems.
But he later tracks the thieves. Who are still dressed as Hourman even after escaping with the loot.
He also gets knocked out, for the second time in a 5 ½ page story.
After that, does solving the case make him cool enough to be in the Justice Society?
Interlude
written and penciled by Sheldon Mayer
This is when the Red Tornado cameo happens, as I’ve already mentioned in her story.
The Sandman
written by Gardner Fox
pencils by Chad Grothkopf, Everett E. Hibbard & Sheldon Mayer
As mentioned I’m going by the DC Database credits. It feels like that’s too many pencilers for a Golden Age story, though.
At least Sandman knows he can’t POSSIBLY top the Spectre’s story.
It’s also weirder than most Sandman stories, dealing with a giant.
With the sentence “huge bag of human flesh found with man’s bones inside it”, it’s already FAR more of a horror story than the Spectre’s.
Sandman investigates the doctor that could be behind the giant, and it’s interesting to see that he’s not considered an ally by the cops. That’s VERY unusual by this point in the Golden Age.
Turns out that the doctor that created the giant has also been experimenting with animals.
Sandman then rescues one of the doctor’s victims. And the gruesome details are even worse than before.
Isn’t it awesome that this story is in the same issue of the Red Tornado?
Doctor Fate
by Gardner Fox & Howard Sherman
Doctor Fate’s story begins with his assistant (and future wife) Inza purchasing a box.
Inza is the one with the hat, which is amusing since the woman with the veil resemble some of her incarnations more.
The box comes with a ghost that warns Inza to ask Fate’s help.
Which is a trick to have him fight the ghosts of Egyptian soldiers.
Doctor Fate eventually tracks the sorcerer behind all this…
…and defeats him in a brawl, because Golden Age.
“Guarding an heiress”
by Evelyn Gaines
Johnny gets a two-page prose story. I already don’t care all that much about Johnny, I’m not going to review this entire thing.
The Atom
by Bill O’Connor & Ben Flinton
Right now Sandman is probably thinking “Should I tell him that I also don’t have powers?”.
The Atom is going after some robbers this time.
He’s not off to a great start. This is making Hourman look more competent.
He also seems more interested in his social life than in fighting crime.
Eventually he does stop the robbers…
…but this is most definitely the most forgettable story of the issue. Even Johnny Thunder is not impressed by it!
Green Lantern
by Gardner Fox & Everett E. Hibbard
The last story begins with the police commissioner of Green Lantern’s city (eventually identified as Gotham City) being framed.
Always cool to see earlier versions of the famous Green Lantern oath.
It’s ultimately for a good cause, but… journalistic integrity, anyone!?
The Silver Age Green Lantern sometimes pulled out weird stunts with his ring. But with the Golden Age one, anything goes!
Hourman and Atom are in good company, because Green Lantern ALSO gets knocked out. It’s thanks to his weakness to wood.
I’ve come to accept bad guys not shooting heroes at the first opportunity… it’s part of the genre.
But couldn’t they at least have tried to take off his ring!?!?
This was all pretty meaningless since Green Lantern can simply will criminals to admit their crimes.
And so the story ends with the Flash telling the rest of the team that the FBI wants to talk to them…
…next Tuesday.
Something tells me the FBI doesn’t want to talk about the Spectre’s adventure.
Historical significance: 10/10
On multiple fronts, both in-universe and in real life.
Silver Age-ness: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
All over the place! Should I consider the Sandman story scary enough to lower the score or the Spectre one weird enough to increase it? It’s such a wide variety of genres and tones that I can’t really give a single score.
Does it stand the test of time? 3/10
Individually, some of the stories are still basically fine even if very short. But overall the framing device doesn’t really work anymore, and while I really like the variety… Hourman and Atom didn’t bring their A-game to the occasion.
Out of the bunch Sandman definitely has the most well-written story, the Spectre has the most fun, and Hawkman has the best artwork.
How close is this to the modern team? 2/10
I don’t have a close connection to, or interest in, the Justice Society. Nothing against them, I just never got the chance to read much of their solo adventures; I do love them whenever they’re in a team-up, though.
Their first story is not particularly representative of the team. In fact they’re not REALLY a team here, it’s just a bunch of people sharing a meal and telling stories!
An interesting thing about their Golden Age years was the rule about their membership.
Whenever a member received his or her own title, the character would leave the series and become just a “honorary member” of the Justice Society.
This led the Flash to be replaced by Johnny Thunder (who is not technically a member here) in issue #6, with Green Lantern following soon enough.
It’s also the official reason why Superman and Batman are not official members.
Membership was always fluid throughout the Golden Age: in fact the ONLY member to be present in EVERY Justice Society story was Hawkwman!
The Justice Society would barely survive the Golden Age. Their final story is in All-Star Comics #57 from 1951. The series was renamed All-Star Western from #58.
The Justice Society wouldn’t stay dead for too long. The original Flash returned in 1961 on the pages of his successor’s series, and the Justice Society was officially re-formed in 1963.
And they’ve gone through many, many, MANY relaunches ever since.
